Cops: Collegeville contruction site robbed

UPPER PROVIDENCE — A construction site near Grand Canyon drive in Collegeville was robbed of approximately $2500 worth of tools and equipment. Police say the crime occurred between 5:30 p.m. Dec. 30 and 6:45 a.m. Dec. 31. An investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to the contact Upper Providence Police Department at 610-933-7899.

Providing false name leads to arrest

NORRISTOWN — A resident was arrested for providing false identification to police. On Jan. 1 at 3:54 p.m., police on patrol near West Main Street and Haws Avenue spotted a man who fit the description of one of the suspects in several recent robberies.

They detained the suspect, later identified as 26-year-old Haneef Jones of Norristown, and informed him of why he was being stopped. Police asked him to identify himself but the name and date of birth Jones provided didn’t match the photo in police records.

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The police asked Jones again to truthfully identify himself, and Jones insisted that he had. Police escorted Jones to his residence to retrieve his identification. A neighbor told police that Haneef lived in the apartment and police successfully matched a picture of the suspect with Haneef Jones through an identification database.

Jones was taken into custody and held for arraignment.

Drug paraphernalia found on suspect

NORRISTOWN — Police found drug paraphernalia on a solicitation suspect. At 3:10 a.m. on Jan. 2, police observed a female suspect entering the passenger seat of a black car at the A-Plus mini market and Sunoco gas station at 630 West Main Street.

Further investigation led authorities to believe she had been in the area propositioning passersby for some time.

Police made contact with the suspect and searched her. They found a pack of cigarettes containing a crack pipe and a used hypodermic needle.

The items were placed into evidence and the suspect was taken into custody and held pending arraignment.

Cash and jewelry stolen from Norristown residence

NORRISTOWN — On Jan 3 at 3 p.m., a resident contacted police regarding a burglary at his home on the 500 block of Kohn Street.

The victim told police that he left his home at 8 a.m. the following day and returned 11 hours later to find that his back door had been pried open. $600 in cash, $1550 in jewelry and two bottles of cologne with a combined value of $70 were missing.

Police investigate billing fraud

NORRISTOWN — Police were alerted to a case of fraud perpetrated by someone posing as a Peco bill collector.

On Jan. 3 at 8 p.m., police responded to the 800 block of Hamilton Street where the victim claimed she had been contacted by a Manuel Carrosco, and told that she was delinquent on her energy bill and owed $200 in order to retain service.

In response, the victim purchased a MoneyPak from the CVS at 1200 West Main Street. After a mix up in location that thwarted an attempt to obtain the MoneyPak in person, the suspect called the victim again and asked for the number on the payment, which she provided at around 5 p.m.

The victim’s daughter had been paying her mother’s Peco bill through automatic payment since November. The victim later called Peco and was informed that Carrosco wasn’t an employee and wasn’t authorized to receive payments.

CVS released the payment location information to police who recovered the MoneyPak and entered all documentation into evidence.

The suspect contacted the victim once again attempting to bilk an additional $154.95. The police are investigating and advised the victim not to answer further calls from the suspect’s number.

Stolen radiators

NORRISTOWN — Four radiators were stolen from a residence in the unit block of Brown Street. An employee of the property owner contacted police Jan. 4 at 12:40 p.m. to report the theft, which occurred sometime after Dec. 23, 2013.

Two radiators were stolen from upstairs bedrooms. One was stolen from the living room, and one from the dining room. The radiators are valued at $200 apiece.

Burglars target electronics

NORRISTOWN — Police responded to a reported burglary in the 300 block of East Penn Street Jan. 5. At 7:40 p.m. The victim contacted police and informed them that her home was ransacked between 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. and two flat screen television sets were missing.

Several other items were also missing, including a Playstation III video game console and its controllers. The victim’s back door, screen and first floor rear window were left open after the burglary.